Abstract

Research shows that learning is dependent upon students feeling safe and secure, so preventing and counteracting bullying should be a high priority for any school leader. Written by an experienced, award-winning principal with a proven track record of bully prevention, this book integrates the research and knowledge on effective school leadership with the research and knowledge for effective bullying prevention. James Dillon describes the five paradigm shifts a school principal needs to lead in order to develop the schoolwide will for bully prevention. This book: - Explains why most anti-bullying efforts fail; - Offers professional development strategies for equipping school staff to implement anti-bullying policies; - Includes information on how to assess and improve overall school climate; - Describes how to involve all members of ...

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Dillon, J. (2012). No place for bullying: Leadership for schools that care for every student Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press doi: 10.4135/9781506335322

Dillon, James. No Place for Bullying: Leadership for Schools That Care for Every Student. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2012. doi: 10.4135/9781506335322.

Dillon, J 2012, No place for bullying: leadership for schools that care for every student, Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA, viewed 15 September 2019, doi: 10.4135/9781506335322.

Copyright

All rights reserved. When forms and sample documents are included, their use is authorized only by educators, local school sites, and/or noncommercial or nonprofit entities that have purchased the book. Except for that usage, no part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

All trade names and trademarks recited, referenced, or reflected herein are the property of their respective owners who retain all rights thereto.

Foreword

“Effective bullying prevention is not just instituting a program in a school. It will require educators to significantly change the culture of most schools.”

—From No Place for Bullying by James Dillon

After finishing the manuscript of No Place for Bullying, all I could think was “Where was this book when I needed it?”

The time when I needed this book most was from 2009 to 2011, when I served as Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education for Safe and Drug-Free Schools and led the Obama Administration's antibullying initiative. Numerous high-profile “bullycides” (suicides apparently linked to bullying) had created a fever pitch around the issue of bullying. Nearly-panicked school officials often turned to us at the Education Department and implored us to give them a simple program they could use to make sure their schools were safe places. The pressure was on. Kids' lives were at stake and people wanted answers.

Sadly, I knew I could not give them what they wanted. The pressure to, as Jim Dillon puts it, “jump to solutions” when it comes to bullying is immense: everyone in the field of education cares deeply about the well-being of young people and wants to do their utmost to protect them. But I knew from experience that there was no easy fix to the problem of bullying—that, instead, bullying prevention had to be part of a larger effort to examine and reform school cultures so that treating others with respect became a norm. As one of my graduate school mentors, the brilliant Linda Darling-Hammond, puts it, “Change is a process, not an event.” There was no easy guide to help educators understand how to undertake such a process of change, however, so I felt at a loss as to what to tell these well-intentioned folks.

Well, now there is. And you're holding it in your hands.

No Place for Bullying is the most sensible guide I have yet read as to how to “bully-proof” your school. While useful for any reader, I believe it will be most helpful for administrators who are seeking to drive a process of change in their building or district on the subject of bullying. Jim walks [Page xi]school leaders through the process of leading change, using his own experience as principal himself as a guide, and offers easy-to-use tools such as training exercises to help school leaders develop their own change initiatives. Grounded in the real world of schools, No Place for Bullying offers the best guide I've yet found on how to actually change your school culture and make respect the “fourth R” taught in your school – and one just as fundamental as reading, writing, and arithmetic.

That this book offers practical, useful advice did not come as a surprise to me. In my second month in the Obama Administration, the horrific beating of a student on a school bus in Belleville, Illinois, captured the media's attention and put pressure on us at the Education Department for specific programs that addressed bullying on school buses. In my search for such programs, I came upon Mr. Dillon's earlier book, The Peaceful School Bus, which offered practical advice for school leaders on how to make sure their buses were safe places. We brought the Peaceful School Bus Program to the attention of educators across the nation, and innumerable ones adopted it, testifying to its usefulness and practicality. I knew I'd found in Jim Dillon someone who—unlike so many education “experts” who have never actually worked in a school—knew how schools really worked and had the practical wisdom needed to devise programs that would actually create meaningful change.

With No Place for Bullying, the author continues his track record of offering schools his unique brand of practical wisdom. He also challenges us with the statement that “When it comes to bullying prevention, no one is to blame and everyone is responsible.” In the past, even well-meaning school officials could rightfully say there was no guidebook as to how to create a school where bullying was minimized. With the publication of No Place for Bullying, that guide now exists. I urge you to read No Place for Bullying closely: each page offers advice that you can put to work when you come back to school tomorrow morning. And remember—it's your responsibility to do so. Kids' lives depend on it.

by KevinJennings

Acknowledgments

[Page xii]

I am very grateful to all the students, parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators who have taught me so much about what it takes to make school a place where students feel safe, cared for, and valued. It is my hope that this book reflects the collective wisdom of all of our experiences and that it can make a positive contribution toward that mission.

I would like to especially acknowledge the Lynnwood Elementary School community where I made my home for seventeen years. It was a special place where we led each other and learned what it meant to be a caring and learning community. Although I hesitate to single out any colleague, I would like to acknowledge the special partnership I had with our school social worker, Maureen Silk-Eglit. We worked together for seventeen years solving problems and helping those with the greatest needs. All school leaders should have as skilled and dedicated teammate as her.

I would also like to thank Measurement Incorporated, who supported me in so many ways as I wrote this book. Dr. Tom Kelsh, the vice president of the Albany/White Plains Office, believed in the need for such a resource and provided the encouragement and support I needed to put my experience and ideas into book form. I would also like to thank all the staff in the Albany office who listened to me and stimulated my thinking in the process of writing this book.

I would like to thank the dedicated professionals I have met through my association with the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, especially Susan Limber, Marlene Synder, and Jane Riese. Their support and encouragement gave me the confidence to lend my voice and efforts to their work. I also owe a special thanks to Sue Thomas at Hazelden, who took a chance to publish the Peaceful School Bus, a program that emerged from an elementary school's attempt to tackle the difficult problems on the school bus. By helping us share its success, the school bus is a safer place for many children.

I am grateful to Jim Collins and the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS), who gave me the opportunity to tour New York State and present to school administrators on the topic of leadership and bullying prevention. Many ideas for this book were a product of that experience.

I continue to learn from my friend and colleague Nancy Andress. We were administrative colleagues in the Guilderland Central School district and [Page xiii]were cochairpersons of the district steering committee on bullying prevention. We were trained as trainers in the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, and we continue to work together on many educational topics. She is always there to listen to me and offer her guidance, direction, and support.

A special thanks to Mary Sise who helped me take the step from leading one school to believing I could lead and contribute to the greater field of education.

I am grateful for the support and guidance of Jessica Allan, Lisa Whitney, and everyone at Corwin for helping me every step of the way in making this book a reality.

I have been very blessed with a wonderful family who supported me through the challenges of over twenty years of being a school administrator and the journey of writing this book. My grown children, Ernie, Tim, Brian, and Hannah, were great kids to raise and learn from, and they now encourage and support me as I pursue new endeavors. My wife, Louisa, who has been a school social worker for over thirty years, is truly a school leader without the formal title. We have shared our stories and struggles as parents and professionals, so she is really the uncredited coauthor of this book. Her work and how she lives her life embodies what it truly means to value and care for others.

Publisher's Acknowledgments

Corwin wishes to acknowledge the following peer reviewers for their editorial insight and guidance.

Robert A. Frick

Superintendent of Schools

Lampeter-Strasburg School District

Lampeter, PA

Harriet Gould

Adjunct Professor/Retired Elementary Principal

Concordia University

Lincoln, NE

Rich Hall

Principal

R. C. Longan Elementary School

Henrico, VA

Kathleen Hwang

Elementary School Principal

Loudoun County Public Schools/Sanders Corner Elementary

Ashburn, VA

[Page xiv]

Mary Monroe Kolek

Deputy Superintendent

New Canaan Public Schools

New Canaan, CT

Holly Leach

Principal

Northshore Christian Academy

Everett, WA

Marian White-Hood

Director of Academics

Maya Angelou Public Charter School and SeeForever Foundation

Washington, DC

About the Author

[Page xv]

James Dillon has been an educator for over thirty-five years, including twenty years as a school administrator. While he was the principal of Lynnwood Elementary in New York, he developed the Peaceful School Bus Program, designed to prevent and reduce bullying, and subsequently published as The Peaceful School Bus (Hazelden). The program is now being implemented in schools across the country.

Jim was named Principal of the Year in 2007 by the Greater Capital District Principal Center. He received recognition for administrative leadership for character education. In 2010, Lynnwood Elementary was recognized by New York State ASCD for Educating the Whole Child for the 21st Century. Jim was an invited participant and presenter at the first National Summit on Bullying Prevention sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education in 2010 and is a certified Olweus Bullying Prevention Program trainer.

Jim is currently an educational consultant for Measurement Incorporated. He makes presentations and conducts workshops on a variety of educational topics, including instruction, classroom management, leadership, and supervision. He has presented at many local, state, and national conferences.

He has four grown children, Ernie, Tim, Brian, and Hannah. He and his wife Louisa, a school social worker, live in Niskayuna, NY.

[Page xvi]

Appendix: Bullying Prevention Resources

[Page 247]

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP)

This program is one of the few evidence-based programs being implemented in schools today. It incorporates all of the ten recommended practices from the http://stopbullyingnow.gov website. The program is based on the book Bullying at Schools by Dr. Dan Olweus. He was one of the first researchers to investigate bullying in schools and its effects on school environments and individuals. His research indicated that effective bullying prevention required a schoolwide comprehensive approach involving education, professional development, policies and rules, data collection, interventions, and parent/community outreach.

Hazelden has published a schoolwide guide and a classroom guide for implementing the program. In order to maintain program fidelity, school teams need to be trained by certified Olweus trainers and use the appropriate program materials. Hazelden has many excellent resources for supporting all the elements of the OBPP.

Clemson University's Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life oversees the OBPP program and coordinates the training of trainers and the dissemination of the model in the United States. The OBPP should be commended for the pioneering work they have done and the leadership they have provided to the field of bullying prevention.

This is an excellent resource on bullying prevention based in Canada. It is a network of researchers, nongovernmental, and governmental agencies dedicated to stopping bullying. It also recommends a comprehensive schoolwide approach to the problem without promoting a specific program. All bullying prevention efforts are based on four pillars: education, assessment, intervention, and policy.

This website's mission is to help school personnel develop a supportive, safe, and inviting learning environment where students can thrive and be successful. It provides evidence-based information and techniques to assist the school community in the prevention of school violence. In addition to information about bullying prevention, this site provides resources specifically for school leaders.

Books

There are many excellent books available on bullying, and the websites mentioned above are reliable sources for finding useful publications that can be used for study groups and professional development. I do cite specific books related to various topics in bullying prevention within the chapters. Those books are reliable and useful resources for school leaders, staff, and parents. I list these two books in this section because they don't appear to be as readily available or as well known as many of the other books in the field of bullying prevention.

In addition to the books recommended on these websites, I found this particular book very helpful. It is a concise and accessible resource that covers all the critical elements of effective bullying prevention. It discusses the problems of researching bullying prevention in schools yet points school leaders in the right direction for getting started and sustaining effective efforts addressing the problem. It makes a strong and convincing case for viewing bullying in a social-ecological context.

The Respectful School (2003) by Stephen Wessler and William Premble

Implementing effective bullying prevention on the secondary level presents many challenges. This book articulates the reasons for these [Page 249]challenges and provides some straight-forward principles and practices for overcoming them. I particularly liked the focus on changing adult words and actions rather than prescribing what should be done to the students.

Resources on Leadership and the Change Process

The Works of Michael Fullan

Anyone wanting to understand and navigate the change process must read the works of Michael Fullan. He explores this complex process in a clear and cogent way, providing guiding principles and sensible approaches for anyone in a leadership position. His work is grounded in a deep respect for people and an affirmation of the moral purpose of education. The Six Secrets of Change (2008), Change Leader (2011a), and Leading in a Culture of Change (2001) would be excellent choices for book study groups.

Made to Stick (2008) and Switch (2010) by Chip and Dan Heath

These books are very easy to read and provide a variety of entertaining examples to make their points about creating lasting and memorable change in all areas of life.

Practical Wisdom (2010) by Barry Schwartz and Kenneth Sharpe

This book explores how our culture has shifted from valuing the wisdom gained from the experience of living and working together to an overreliance on rules and regulations as the solution to our complex problems.

The Works of Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell skillfully translates the research of social psychology into fascinating stories and anecdotes that illustrate how people think, act, and influence each other. The Tipping Point (2002), Blink (2005), and The Outliers (2008) provide great food for thought for getting staff to look at problems differently.

Drive (2010) by Daniel Pink and Why We Do What We Do (1996) by Edward Deci and Richard Flaste

These two books explore the differences between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in all aspects of life. Since most schools rely on extrinsic [Page 250]motivation, emphasizing rules, rewards, and consequences to change student behavior, it can be very difficult to get staff to consider alternative ways to solve any school problem. Getting staff to discuss and reflect on the critical distinction between these different types of motivation can be an effective way to create an openness to more creative approaches to addressing school problems.

The Research of Amy Edmondson

Dr. Amy Edmondson of Harvard Business School is doing fascinating research analyzing leadership and learning in business environments. She makes many of the theories and key principles of effective change operational and amenable to research. Although the research was done outside of schools, her findings are very applicable to education. Her work is not yet consolidated into one publication, so I recommend investing the time to find the articles listed in References.

Mindset (2006) by Carol Dweck

This book and the research behind it have profound implications for how we educate our students. Since educators talk to students, they need to understand how the words they use affect how students learn, and more importantly, view themselves. Getting educators to use words reflecting a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset can have a tremendous positive impact on student learning and achievement. When students see effort as the key element of success, they will be more likely to invest their time and energy in becoming more empowered bystanders.

Pollack, W., Modzeleski, W., & Rooney, G. (2008). Prior knowledge of potential school-based violence: Information students learn may prevent a targeted attack. Report from the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Departement of Education. Retrieved from http://www.secretservice.gov/ntac/bystander_study.pdf

CORWIN: A SAGE Company

[Page 271]

The Corwin logo—a raven striding across an open book—represents the union of courage and learning. Corwin is committed to improving education for all learners by publishing books and other professional development resources for those serving the field of PreK–12 education. By providing practical, hands-on materials, Corwin continues to carry out the promise of its motto: “Helping Educators Do Their Work Better.”

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Dillon, J. (2012). No place for bullying: Leadership for schools that care for every student Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press doi: 10.4135/9781506335322

Dillon, James. No Place for Bullying: Leadership for Schools That Care for Every Student. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2012. doi: 10.4135/9781506335322.

Dillon, J 2012, No place for bullying: leadership for schools that care for every student, Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA, viewed 15 September 2019, doi: 10.4135/9781506335322.